City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Altadena, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Altadena - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

41,921
Residents
$129,123
Median income
$1,073,500
Median home
$2,601
Median rent (state)

Altadena - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Altadena lands in the 90th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

90th
percentile, household income
98th
percentile, home value
93rd
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Altadena, CA

41,921 people live in Altadena, California - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Altadena households earn a median of $129,123 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.3%. Altadena's housing stock carries a median value of $1,073,500, and the median resident age is 46.2 years. 52.7% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 58.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 9 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

California carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, California scores 110.7 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,601 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 100.0 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

41,921 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$129,123 /yr

Poverty 5.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Altadena compare to other US cities?

Altadena measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 90% higher than other cities
Home value 98% pricier than other cities
Median rent 93% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Altadena's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

90thIncome percentile

90th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Altadena's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$1,073,500 2nd percentile more affordable than 2% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. Altadena $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Altadena, CA Altadena, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Altadena, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Altadena, CA median $129,123/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Altadena, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Altadena, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 52.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
41,921
Median Income
$129,123
Median Home Value
$1,073,500
Median Age
46.2
Poverty Rate
5.3%
Labor force participation
58.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
52.7%

Schools

Total Schools
9
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
65.3%
Carpool
6.4%
Public Transit
1.5%
Walk
1.1%
Work from Home
23.4%
Other
2.3%

Based on 20,139 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Altadena sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,601/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
100.0 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

French Valley
42,550 people
Rancho Palos Verdes
41,259 people
Coachella
42,594 people
San Bruno
42,612 people
Vineyard
42,645 people
Campbell
42,848 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Altadena's 41,921 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Lebanon, TN
41,951 people
Annandale, VA
41,982 people
Land O' Lakes, FL
41,845 people
Grove City, OH
41,831 people
Coppell, TX
42,029 people
Linton Hall, VA
42,077 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Altadena's $129,123 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Huntington Station, NY
$129,121 median income
Piney Mountain, VA
$129,120 median income
Allen, TX
$129,130 median income
Norene, TN
$129,138 median income
Hampton Bays, NY
$129,080 median income
Mingoville, PA
$129,167 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Altadena, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Altadena, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 46.0% 18.0% 11.9% 17.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 27.2% White 46.0% Black or African American 18.0% Asian 5.7% American Indian 1.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 11.9% Two or more races 17.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Altadena compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Altadena (this city) 41,921 $129,123
French Valley 42,550 $132,605
Rancho Palos Verdes 41,259 $175,307
Coachella 42,594 $67,558
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Altadena, CA?

What is the population of Altadena, CA? +

The population of Altadena, CA stands at 41,921 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Altadena, CA? +

In Altadena, the typical household earns $129,123 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Altadena? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Altadena; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Altadena, CA? +

A typical home in Altadena is worth $1,073,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.